Recognizing blessings

In life we take a lot of things for granted, and often fail to recognize the blessings that God has placed in our lives. Most times we tend to only recognize our blessings when it is significant, or when we find someone in an unfortunate situation, then it is that moment that we are able to realize how blessed we are. Our ability to recognize certain life situations as a blessing, depends a lot on our level of spirituality.

Quite often when life has becomes a challenge, unknowing to us, it may be a blessing in the making. Conversely, not because something good and of great significance is happening in our lives, means that this is God’s blessings. This is something we must exercise caution about.

Obtaining wealth through dishonest means is sometimes mistaken as a blessing. This may be unknown to the individual receiving it. You might have been in a challenging economic situation for a while, and at last you are having this windfall. You are happy that your economic situation has taken a turn for the better.

An example could be someone presented with money or other valuables from a family member, who gained it by corrupt or fraudulent means. If the individual accepting it is unaware of this, it may not preclude him or her from criticisms or chastisement. If you honestly feel that something is not right, or it is too good to be true then do your due diligence to protect yourself.

Opportunities sometimes are not genuine as they are purported to be, and they are offered when we are in a serious need, or in a state of vulnerability. We accept these so called opportunities, thinking that God has finally delivered. We then end up in a worse situation than we were originally.

A typical example is paying money to someone in order to secure the kind of job you have been desperately hoping for, and then you realize it was a scam. This is why when we are faced with such situations, it is important to always dig deep into our spirituality, which will always guide us in making the right decisions.

God has a way to bless us in ways that we never expected. No matter how far we may be from him spiritually, he never ceases to shower us with his blessings even when we are not deserving of it. (Ephesians 3:20). When our blessings are of great proportions, it is quickly and easily recognized, and most times we do not hesitate to thank Him, and will go as far to thank Him publicly, through our testimonies or otherwise.

It could have been a situation where you almost lost your life, whether through illness or an accident, or it may be that you are now able to purchase your house, after a really difficult period of finding the down payment, and meeting the requirements.

Now let us look at the blessings that often go unrecognized. We are living our normal lives, and nothing of great significance is happening. Basically everything is fine, and as a result we take our living for granted; but the instant things begin to take a negative turn, it is then that we realize the blessings we were previously enjoying.
We must recognize and give thanks for life, good health, strength, our jobs, and our ability to take care of our daily obligations. Do we take time out to thank God for food and shelter, the fact that we are able to see, talk, walk, hear, able to sleep well, having supportive people around us, having nice neighbors, obedient children, fresh clean water and air around us, and nothing much to complain about? These are all blessings that are often taken for granted, until we discover persons who are just not enjoying one or many of these blessings.

When we are not able to enjoy one or many of these blessings, it may lead to a frustrating and unhappy life for us, especially if we do not find it necessary to give thanks despite our difficulties. But who knows if these challenges could have led to bigger and better situations in life. Often they do, and that is why it is always important to give God thanks no matter what our circumstances are in life, because it could be a test and preparation for an abundance of blessings or greater service.

A typical example could be someone who has lost his or her job. This can turn out to be a blessing in disguise. In this case the individual has the option of being overwhelmed by the situation in a negative way, or grasp the opportunity of starting his or her own business, which may turn out to be one of the best decisions. This could be God’s will and purpose for the individual, and when we are able to accomplish God’s will and purpose in our lives then what other blessings could we ask for.

If you are not employed, and therefore not earning, and you are able to take care of your bills and survive, then you should consider yourself even more blessed than someone who has to go out everyday to earn a living. God is providing, regardless, and he often blesses us through other persons.

We must recognize that life in itself is a blessing, even with the challenges it delivers each day. Most times it is these difficulties that are calling us for a deeper spirituality and a closer relationship with God, or to prepare us for the special calling He has for us (Ephesians 1:3).